Run-off-the-Mill

"Stahl Gerlafingen, Switzerland’s oldest steel plant, is facing challenges in sustaining the country's secondary steel industry. International trade pressures are leading to product standardization, creating a gap between designers and the production process. This raises the question: how can designers relate to steel without understanding its manufacturing techniques?

Livni Holtz underscores the importance of designing in close proximity to fabrication methods and the necessity for designers to engage with the production process. Livni uses one of Stahl Gerlafingen's hidden production processes, making it visible by meticulously carving a wooden core model that can be used to create moulds for steel parts. Now, he conducts workshops to help designers intimately understand steel's manufacturing processes, fostering a deeper relationship with the material."